Reconciliation Action Plan RAP 2015

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Reconciliation Action Plan RAP 2015


ContentsOur Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)

Our mission

Christ Church Grammar School’s values

Christ Church’s Indigenous connection

The Christ Church Indigenous Student Program (ISP)

Reconciliation initiatives

Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)

- Relationships

- Respect

- Opportunities

- Glossary

Appendices

A. Our School

B. Swan River connection Claremont and Point Walter

Cover Photo: Chris Miles, Caiden Curtin, Gerrard Ansey, Brodie Albert, Joseph Pedley, Rahamat Bin Bakar, Will Fong, Kuberan Muir, Calen Simpson-Lewis, Kye Alden, Liam Henry, Corizma Butt, Tommy Nickels, Alden Lands, ‘Kura Shioji, Richard Mandijalu, Lewis Henry.


Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)Our RAP is concerned with practical actions the School will take to foster and build strong relationships and enhanced respect between Indigenous peoples and other Australians. It clearly sets out our plans to drive greater equality by pursuing sustainable, measurable opportunities.

The three areas of action centre on respect, relationships and opportunities and within these are three recurring points of focus in the Christ Church Grammar School RAP:

- Practical ways to increase the reconciliation process within the School environment with measured and considered Indigenous involvement in all aspects of School life

- Increased experience of our staff and students in the lives of Australia’s Indigenous community outside the School grounds, such as visits to remote communities in Western Australia

- Sustained commitment to the RAP framework which is a proven pathway to building a nation that understands and nurtures it’s Indigenous roots and community

The development of Christ Church Grammar School’s RAP commenced with the formation of a committee which included Aboriginal old boy, Frank Ansey, followed by old boy Aiden Albert and guided by Ms Roni Forrest, the AISWA Indigenous Liaison Officer. It is a living document embedded in the School. It will be constantly monitored, reviewed, refreshed and updated to ensure alignment with the national agenda.

Our RAP is monitored and reviewed by the RAP Committee. RAP progress is reported to School Council and Reconciliation Australia.

Our missionThe School Motto ‘Deus Dux Doctrina Lux’ (God is our leader, learning is our light) underpins all that we do at Christ Church.

Boys “educated to know, to do, to live with others and to be” (The Four Pillars of Learning, UNESCO, 1996) was adopted in 2001 as the School’s mission. It encompasses the energy, diversity and rigour of the School’s program while highlighting the importance of community and the spiritual side of humanity.


Christ Church Grammar School’s values These guide us in our mission and our vision for reconciliation.

- Care and compassion

- Environmental responsibility

- Excellence

- Freedom

- Honesty and trustworthiness

- Integrity

- Respect

- Responsibility

- Social justice

- Understanding and inclusion


Christ Church’s Indigenous connectionMore than 40 000 years ago, the Whadjuk people used the river much as we do today. The river was a source of food, ceremony and a place for social gatherings. Once a year the Whadjuk people would walk down from the hills, along the river and down to Fremantle (Walyalup).

The women walked along the southern shore teaching the young children about bush foods, tracking animals and ways of living, before meeting at Point Walter (Djoondalup).

The sand bar represented the ‘fallen white hair’ of the spirit woman Djoondalup during creation times.

The young boys travelled the northern shore where they attended lessons on how to be men in their community.

After those lessons and ceremonies in the bush the young men would swim across the river where the great sand bar lies to be reunited with the women and children. When they reached Walyalup there would be a huge party to celebrate.

The land the School was built on was a very significant area for the Whadjuk people who lived there. It was a place of ceremonies and gatherings then and remains so today. Christ Church is a place where boys learn to become responsible young men and future leaders of their communities, as they were many thousands of years ago on this same land. We are all a part of the history of this land.

The first Aboriginal student at Christ Church was Irwin Lewis who attended the School from 1953 to 1956. The Lewis family has a strong and proud connection with the School, which continues today.

The Christ Church Indigenous Student Program (ISP)Including 2015 students, Christ Church Grammar School has educated 52 Indigenous students since the launch of the Indigenous Student Program (ISP) by Headmaster Garth Wynne in 2005.

That year four students from Broome and Halls Creek were awarded scholarships. In 2014 the program had 17 boys from across the state, including remote communities such as Glen Hill. The School continues to provide Indigenous students with excellent educational opportunities that ultimately produce positive outcomes for the boys, their communities and the Christ Church community.

Indigenous scholarships are awarded to boys at various levels of entry to the Senior School and are unique in nature. The intent of each scholarship is to provide exceptional educational opportunities for Indigenous boys, who have the potential to lead within the community.

The ISP grew from an association between John Dimmer, Christ Church teacher and WA football coach, and Garnduwa, an Aboriginal sporting and community organisation based in Broome. The relationship between Christ Church and Garnduwa was established through Garnduwa Chief Executive, Alan Bishop, its Kimberley Regional Program Manager (Broome), Mick Albert and Headmaster Garth Wynne.


Reconciliation initiatives at Christ Church Grammar School

- Annual Indigenous student art exhibitions and art displays in the School including significant opening events for the community

- NAIDOC week school celebrations through a variety of activities incorporating history, art, food, music and sport

- School assemblies in the Senior and Preparatory Schools highlighting culture, history and traditions as well as Indigenous guest speakers

- Storytelling, didgeridoo and cultural class incursions by respected Noongar Elders

- Employment of an Indigenous Program Coordinator (IPC)

- Staff professional development and cultural awareness training

- Staff and student involvement in the Garnduwa Young Men’s Leadership camps in the Kimberley twice a year

- Noongar Welcome to Country and Smoking ceremonies

- Indigenous flag permanently at mast

- Participation in NAIDOC Week, Reconciliation Week, Close the Gap and Sorry Day activities both

in the School and the broader community

- Future Footprint camps, recreational events, graduation ceremonies, and planning meetings

- Madalah IYLP leadership planning and events

- Attending appropriate government indigenous events

- Kimberley Klub recreational events and awards ceremonies

- Indigenous orientation barbecue to welcome new students and families at the commencement of each year

- Hometown visits to meet with the families of existing and prospective Indigenous students

- Trips to and from the Yakanarra Community by staff and students

- The development of Aboriginal School Based Traineeships (ASBT) pathways and motivational career days

- Student involvement in outreach extension programs with Curtin University and UWA

- Inviting parents and friends of our Indigenous community to school events and planning meetings


Reconciliation Action Plan RAP 2015 RELATIONSHIPS

Acknowledge the significance of reconciliation between Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Australians and the wider community. Nurture and develop existing relationships and connections between the Indigenous community in the classroom, the School and the wider community.

Action Responsibility Timeline Measurable Target

Invite Indigenous guests, students and staff to help with classroom activities relating to Indigenous histories and cultures.

Indigenous Program Coordinator (IPC)

Ongoing Number of Indigenous students, staff and guests who were part of stories and activities during significant days and the nature of their involvement captured for inclusion in the RAP Report (RAPR).

Strengthen the Indigenous cultural awareness activities as part of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) in the Preparatory School:

Since 2013 the Year 2 and 3 classes have continued to correspond with Yakanarra Community School south of Fitzroy Crossing practising their functional literacy skills. Members of CCGS visit Yakanarra for at least 5 days annually to maintain and strengthen the relationship between the two schools.

IPC, Preparatory School (PS)

Ongoing Preparatory School correspondence with Yakanarra Community School south of Fitzroy Crossing summarised in the RAPR.

Summary of annual visits by CCGS to the Yakanarra Community School captured in the RAPR.

Increase students’ knowledge of Indigenous heritage and culture. Seek opportunities for all students to jointly participate in similar cultural immersion activities, where it is appropriate for non-Indigenous people to be present.

This might be incorporated with the School’s Indigenous Student Program (ISP), which includes 16 boys (2015).

Head of Senior School (HSS), IPC

Ongoing Immersion activities for the year are summarised in the RAPR.

Indigenous representation on committees. IPC Ongoing Indigenous representation on School committees are summarised in the RAPR.

Invite Indigenous Elders and/or community members to share stories. HSS, IPC Ongoing Events in which which Elders and community members attend the School for stories and culture listed in the RAPR. Contact list of Indigenous guests for future involvement included in the RAPR.


Action Responsibility Timeline Measurable Target

Executive level support will be maintained with ongoing involvement of the Head of the Senior School.

HSS, IPC Ongoing The Headmaster and the School Council to ratify the RAPR annually.

Provide staff and 50 Year 11 students per year the opportunity to visit partnering communities:

Year 11 Indigenous Immersion Program (initiated 2014). Voluntary participation by boys in trips to Burringurrah, Looma, Marble Bar, Yakanarra as well as taking part in the Garnduwa Leadership camps in East and West Kimberley.

HSS, IPC Ongoing Number of staff and students who visited partnering communities in 2015 and a summary of events captured for the RAPR. Participation in the Immersion Program by the School summarised for the RAPR.

Continue to participate annually in PSA Indigenous football matches during National Reconciliation Week. Indigenous students will design jumpers. Include Welcome to Country ceremony.

IPC, old boy Aiden Albert (2015)

27 May - 3 June 2015

Participation in the PSA Indigenous football match summarised. Record of the participants, the ceremony and the jumper design captured in the RAPR.

Develop the existing relationships and develop new connections with Indigenous organisations.

Document/formalise these partnerships. Create/update Whadjuk Noongar contact database.

HSS, IPC Ongoing Relationships with Indigenous organisations outside the School captured in the RAPR.

A Whadjuk Noongar contact database of businesses is created and these partnerships are acknowledged formally.


RESPECT

The values of Christ Church Grammar School encourage cultural understanding, pride and mutual respect. They allow people to contribute more readily to the reconciliation process and communicate their understanding more effectively.

Action Responsibility Timeline Measurable Outcome

Seek opportunities for our Indigenous students, their families and the wider school community to engage with indigenous culture through NAIDOC Week events and National Reconciliation Week.

HSS, IPC, PS, Indigenous old boy Aiden Albert (2015)

Ongoing List of celebrations for significant days captured in RAPR:

- Future Footprints Careers Expo

- Staff versus Students Basketball Game for Reconciliation

- Indigenous Art Exhibition and Launch Evening for NAIDOC Week including displays of music and dance and a Traditional Feed (meal) provided to students by ICEA

- Incursions by Noongar Elders

Incorporate celebration of national days/weeks with the CCGS community: Create a schedule/guide which can be used as a guide for staff to use as a guide:

- NAIDOC Week July

- Anniversary of National Apology 13 February

- Sorry Day 26 May

- National Reconciliation Week May/June

- ANZAC Day 25 April

- Mabo Day 3 June

- National Indigenous Children’s Day 4 August

IPC Ongoing Numbers participating in teaching/learning about significant days recorded in the RAPR:

- NAIDOC Week July

- Anniversary of National Apology 13 February

- Sorry Day 26 May

- National Reconciliation Week May/June

- ANZAC Day 25 April

- Mabo Day 3 June

- National Indigenous Children’s Day 4 August



Continue to plan for Acknowledgement of Country at all major events with Welcome to Country and Smoking ceremonies before special events and assemblies.

Continue to host ISP welcome barbeque at the start of the school year for new boys and families. Include a Welcome to Country.

Fly Indigenous flag.

Display Indigenous artwork.

HSS, IPC Ongoing Document when Indigenous ceremonies are performed

1. Indigenous flag is flown

2. Indigenous artwork is displayed

3. Capture details in the RAPR.

Continue launch of annual Indigenous Art Exhibition during NAIDOC Week.

Conduct Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony before the NAIDOC Week assembly.

Include Aboriginal dance, music and storytelling.

ICEA to continue to provide a traditional feed (meal) for the school community during this week.

IPC, HSS Ongoing NAIDOC Week (July) activities including art exhibition, assembly, dance, storytelling and ICEA traditional feed to be captured in the RAPR.

Continue to communicate with school families to ensure they are aware of our code to prevent and deal with any form of racism. Maintain position that the School is a culturally rich community that will not tolerate any form of racism.

HSS Ongoing Document School’s policy on dealing with racism.


OPPORTUNITIES

Provide ongoing engagement opportunities for our Indigenous School community.


Develop Indigenous resources and courses of study.

Designate an Indigenous resource centre.

Review and develop Indigenous curriculum content.

HSS, IPC Ongoing Indigenous resources, courses of study, Indigenous curriculum content summarised in the RAPR.

An Indigenous resource centre is established.

Plan for an increase in School bursaries and financial support for the scholarship program with provision of approximately 18 to 20 places annually in the Residential Community for Indigenous students.

HSS, IPC Ongoing Annual RAPR to contain a financial summary including:

School bursaries

Financial support for the scholarship program with provision of approximately 18 to 20 places in the Residential Community for Indigenous students.

Increase and maintain staff awareness of and engagement with our RAP. Ensure staff are aware of and familiar with CCGS RAP.

HSS, IPC Ongoing Staff made aware of the RAP annually and of its contents and progress at regular intervals.

Continue to allocate 1 FTE to the appointment of an Indigenous Program Coordinator (IPC) and maintain a specific Indigenous Scholarship Fund through the Office of Philanthropy to support Indigenous students.

HSS Ongoing Report detailing Indigenous Scholarship Fund included in RAPR.

Scope, develop and deliver cultural awareness training for staff.

Use The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) Professional Standards for Teachers as standard.

HSS, IPC Ongoing Cultural awareness training and opportunities for development and application are captured in the RAPR.

Review support structures regularly for Indigenous students with mentoring for House Tutors and teachers.

There is or will be the provision for individual tutoring in the Residential Community.

Increase number of opportunities for the School community to engage with Indigenous culture and learning.

HSS, IPC Ongoing Summary of support structures for Indigenous students, including the specific details of mentoring by House Tutors and teachers to be captured in the RAPR.

A guide for provision of individual tutoring of Indigenous students in the Residential Community is summarised in the RAPR.

The School’s involvement with Garnduwa Camps and SIA Indigenous Community visits are summarised in the RAPR as is family and corporate support.



Encourage the development of greater leadership, career pathways and employment opportunities including the employment of an Indigenous student mentor.

Utilise external vocational and tertiary information opportunities for Indigenous students.

Invite Indigenous speakers and Elders to the School regularly.

Continue to employ an Indigenous residential assistant who works and lives in the boarding community, and Indigenous old boys as sport coaches.

HSS, IPC Ongoing An Indigenous student mentor is employed.

Staff and students are made aware of opportunities to attend university and vocational career expos, seminars and work experience and traineeship programs.

Indigenous speakers and Elders who attended lunch meetings at the School are listed in the RAPR and matched against the Indigenous contact list.

Details regarding the appointment/progress of an Indigenous residential assistant who works and lives in the boarding community is captured in the RAPR. Indigenous old boys who are employed as sport coaches are listed in the RAPR.

The specific opportunities for all boys to hear from Elders are captured in the RAPR.

Educate the School community about Australia’s Indigenous languages. HSS, IPC Ongoing The use of Whadjuk language used at events at school along with English translation is documented in the RAPR as part of NAIDOC Week celebrations.


RAP Progress and Reporting

The Christ Church RAP will be constantly monitored, reviewed, refreshed and updated to be in line with the national agenda. The RAP is monitored and reviewed by the RAP Committee.


RAPR conducted annually. First RAPR will be RAPR 2015/16 completed by the time of the NAIDOC Week celebrations July 2016.

RAP progress reported to School Council and Reconciliation Australia.

Keep our Indigenous old boys and their families updated and involved.

HSS, IPC Ongoing RAPR 2015/16 document available July 2016.

Glossary

RAP Reconciliation Action Plan

CCGS Christ Church Grammar School

RAPR RAP Report

HSS Head of Senior School

IPC Indigenous Program Co-ordinator

PS Preparatory School

Indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander


RAP Appendices Appendix A

Our School

Christ Church Grammar School opened in 1910 as the Christ Church Preparatory School, on a site at the corner of Queenslea Drive and Stirling Highway in Claremont, Perth.

There was one classroom and an initial enrolment of nine day boys. Canon WJ McClemans, Rector of Christ Church and the School’s founder, ran the School as well as carrying out his parish duties. The School has since grown into Perth’s leading boys’ School, with approximately 1600 boys from PrePrimary to Year 12 engaged in a variety of innovative and studentfocused academic and cocurricular programs designed to develop each boy’s unique talents and interests.

The main campus of Christ Church Grammar School is located on Whadjuk land on the corner of Stirling Highway and Queenslea Drive in Claremont, at Freshwater Bay. It is at the halfway point between Perth and Fremantle, approximately 8.9 kilometres from the central business district. There are two sporting campuses in Mount Claremont located within three kilometres of the School. Kooringal, the outdoor education centre and fourth campus of the School, is located near Dwellingup.

Appendix B

Swan River history – Claremont and Point Walter

Willem de Vlamingh explored the beaches and cliffs of Mosman Park and Peppermint Grove on 5 January 1697, and found a freshwater spring near the intersection of today’s Lilla and Keane Streets, just within the boundary of Peppermint Grove. This is probably near the spring that later gave its name to Freshwater Bay. There were many springs around this foreshore but not many were flowing strongly in January when Vlamingh located this one.

Whadjuk Noongars had a campsite in the area, as it was a main source of water. The cliffed area is called Curveergaroup and the bay itself is termed Minder up. Karrakatta refers to the sand bar in Freshwater bay and means ‘the place of crabs’.

The small bay at Keanes Point is called Nyeergardup meaning place of the pelican.

Point Resolution (Mandyuranup) means place of banksia (Pascoe and Cupton, 1983). This area is very steep and therefore was not an easy or favourite location to gather food. However, on the northern side of the point the beaches were flat and sandy being an ideal fishing and trading area (Claremont Museum, 1995).

Butler Point is referred to as Minderup, which is a place for alleviating sickness because of the freshwater springs (which were possibly heated). Point Roe is known as Berreegup, which means the place of the banksia. Inland at Mount Claremont is referred to as the ‘black hill’, or Karbomunup.

In summer, the Beeliar Noongars used Alfred Cove (Marradungup) as a campsite for this was an area of the Wetlands, which was an abundant source of yams, crustaceans, turtles and waterfowl. This name means place of death water. Beeliar Noongars would regularly burn sections of this area, which kept the understorey low and was considered a useful technique for flushing out game.

The Melville area was originally open woodland as the result of centuries of burning by Noongars. The area was particularly admired for its open woodland by the early


white explorers who found this landscape aesthetically pleasing. Early colonists could not be persuaded to live in the area particularly at the time of Yagan. Yagan was a local Noongar who continued to defend his custodial right to this area for some time after the Swan River Colony had been established.

The Noongar names for the area are Doontanboro (Melville Water) meaning ‘the big pelican river’, Point Walter or Dyoondalup meaning the ‘place of white sand’, Lucky Bay, Margamangup meaning ‘the place of the bird’s nest in the tree’, Moondaap (Point Dundas) meaning ‘the blackness of the river bank’, Kooyagoordup (Waylen Bay) referring to ‘the place of the kooyar species of frog’.

Goollugatup (Point Heathcote) means ‘the place of the children’ and the Canning confluence is known as Gabbi Kowangalup, ‘the place where the water comes out of the hole’. Significant to Beeliar Noongars as a campsite and hunting ground.

Source: Hughes-Hallett D, (2010) Indigenous History of the Swan and Canning Rivers. A Project with the Swan River Trust.

Reconciliation Action Plan RAP 2015

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Transcript of Reconciliation Action Plan RAP 2015